


Soju (소주)

by gettingaphdinlarry



Category: One Direction (Band), Shawn Mendes (Musician)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Bars and Pubs, Expats, First Dates, First Meetings, Friendship, M/M, Seoul, South Korea - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-11-05 06:56:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17913974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gettingaphdinlarry/pseuds/gettingaphdinlarry
Summary: After a spectacular breakup he'd like to forget about, English language teacher Niall Horan finds himself in starting anew in Seoul, South Korea. He's perfectly content being single, but when his friends try to set him up with Shawn Mendes, well... Maybe it's time to give love another shot.





	Soju (소주)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [myownspark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/myownspark/gifts).



> This was written for [@myownsparknow](https://myownsparknow.tumblr.com/), who wanted some Shiall in her life. This was betaed by [@louandhazaf](http://louandhazaf.tumblr.com/) and Britpicked by [@fishingforpeace](https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/fishingforpeace). Thank you both! As a side note: I had the dialogue Britpicked, but American English is preferred in South Korea, so that's what I've used throughout.
> 
> Enjoy!

Soju (소주)  
Korea’s most popular alcoholic beverage;  
a distilled spirit containing ethanol and water;  
traditionally made from rice, wheat, or barley

 

_Seoul, August 2006_

“Moo?” Niall asked Liam as they shuffled up the stairs at Sinchon Station.

“Moo. Like a cow.” Liam squinted at his phone. “Go straight for three blocks, left at the _yakguk,_ then go fifteen meters…”

“Are they already there?” Niall and Liam wove through throngs of college students and trendy shoppers. Niall squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. He still hadn’t adjusted to all the neon lights in Seoul. The cacophony of color was so different from Mullingar, or the coastal village where he’d taught in Spain. “You know, just because we’re both into guys doesn’t mean we’ll be into each ot—”

“That look like a chemist to you?” Liam turned without waiting for an answer. “Yeah, they’re there already—Zayn!”

“You’re here!” Zayn grabbed Liam and pulled him into a half hug. “And you must be Niall. Let’s talk inside!”

Niall entered the bar and reared his head back. Before he could take in the expansive room, Zayn pointed to a booth where a slender, dark-haired man sat. Niall couldn’t make out any features from where he was.

“You first,” Liam said, gesturing for Niall to sit down.

Niall’s eyes bounced around the bar as he slid into the booth, and he hoped it looked like he was truly interested in the decor. He sat down and held his hand out, trying to look confident. “Niall.”

“Shawn.”

His grip was strong.

Liam sat down next to Niall and Zayn settled next to Shawn. After a quick round of introductions, Zayn drummed his fingers on the table. “What do you think?”

“It’s… something…” Niall said.

Moo Bar was a cave dripping in a mess of tan bubble gum. Curved, irregular columns leaned and crossed each other, and fake plants clung to the walls.

Shawn grinned at Niall and glanced at Liam. “It’s usually described as mushrooms, or the inside of a cow’s stomach. Or an acid trip.”

“Kind of reminds me of something you’d see in an aquarium,” Liam said. “Like the little castle for fish? I bet it looks like that inside.”

“Oh yeah, or maybe coral.” Shawn looked around the bar again, then looked at Niall. “I know Liam and Zayn are old friends, but how do you two know each other?”

“One of the Saturday morning Korean classes. And you two?” Niall waved his hand toward Zayn and Shawn.

“We worked together at a _hogwon_ —”

“The owner stole from us and went out of business—” Zayn said.

“Oh shit,” Liam said.

“Eh, we took her to court.”

“It’s a long story,” Shawn added.

“For another time.” Zayn put the menu in the middle of the table. “Shawn, you ordered some _anju_ , right?”

“Yeah. Popcorn, squid, rice cakes. I waited on the drinks. They’ve got flavored _soju_.”

Niall tried to make out the sticks and balls of Korean on the menu, but Liam leaned back in his seat. “I’m gonna let you guys take the lead.”

“Shawn’s Korean is excellent,” Zayn said. “He studies it, took classes at Sogang and everything.”

Shawn rolled his eyes. “Even you know _ddalgi._ ”

“Strawberry?” Niall asked.

“Yep,” Zayn said. “Here, we’ll quiz you guys. You’ve been here a few months, right?”

Liam groaned. “OK, go.”

Zayn pointed to part of the menu and Shawn looked up toward Liam. “ _Kiwi, oranji?_ ”

“Haha, those are easy.”

“Wait…” Shawn furrowed his brow. “ _Seongyu_? What the hell is that?”

Zayn shook his head and shrugged. “Never heard of it… _Seongyu myoya_?”

“ _Seongyu_? It’s, um…” Niall snapped his fingers a few times. “Pomegranate. I think.”

Shawn and Zayn both stared at Niall.

“How long have you been here?” Zayn said.

“Since June.” Niall shrugged. “I learned it at the fruit market.”

“Damn,” Shawn said to Liam. “Your friend’s fucking brilliant.”

***

Two pitchers of soju—pomegranate and lime—sat on the center of the table. Shawn picked up four chopsticks from the box on the end of the table and handed them out. “We’re going to play a Korean drinking game: Chopsticks.”

“Here’s how it works,” Zayn passed everyone a shot glass, “I’ll ask a question, and you point your chopstick to whoever you think it best describes—it doesn’t have to be true, just best description.”

Shawn tapped his chopstick on the table a few times, then stilled his hand. He was nervous. “Whoever has the most chopsticks pointed at them drinks, and then it’s their turn.”

“What if there’s a tie?” Niall said.

Shawn glanced at Niall and then looked at Zayn. When Zayn had said there was going to be a gay guy at the bar, Shawn had rolled his eyes. Sometimes well-meaning friends thought any gay would do, but…

“Both drink, original person goes again,” Zayn said.

Shawn cleared his throat. “So, first question, who’s got the most siblings?”

Shawn knew Zayn had three sisters, but maybe Niall came from a large Catholic family? Liam pointed to Zayn, so Shawn did too. Niall pointed to Liam, and Zayn pointed to Shawn.

“Two chopsticks are pointing to me. I drink.” Zayn held his glass in front of Shawn. Shawn poured him a glass of pomegranate soju and Zayn drank. “That’s really good. Alright. Who’s—”

“Wait. Who does have the most siblings?” Niall said. “Liam has two…”

“I have three,” Zayn said.

Niall looked at Shawn. Shawn took a beat to realize why. “One.”

“Me too! I have an older brother,” Niall said.

“Younger sister,” Shawn said.

“Nice.” Niall smiled at Shawn before looking away and taking a piece of spicy rice cake.

Shawn wanted Niall to look at him again; his eyes were arresting.

“Who’s visited the most countries?” Zayn said.

Niall pointed to Shawn. Liam pointed to Niall, and Shawn copied him. Finally, Zayn pointed at Niall too.

“Aren’t we supposed to point at the same time?” Niall joked, reaching for the pitcher of lime soju.

Shawn’s hand shot out and he touched Niall’s wrist. “Let me. When in Korea…” He dropped his hand, feeling hot.

Niall held his glass out. “Oh right, the drinking rules.”

Age, gender, social status—it was complicated.

“We following all of them?” Niall raised his eyebrows.

“Nah, we just pour for each other,” Zayn said, “until we get too drunk to care.”

Niall thanked Shawn and took the soju. “Smooth. That’s smooth.” He licked his lips. “So, um, who’s the oldest?” He pointed his chopsticks at Liam, Liam pointed at Shawn, Shawn laughed and pointed at Zayn, and Zayn pointed at Liam.

Liam held out his glass and Niall said, “Let me.”

“Lime please,” Liam smiled at Niall and said to Zayn, “but I know you’re older than me.”

Shawn looked at Zayn. “I know you’re… twenty-eight? Twenty-nine?”

“Twenty-nine,” Zayn said, “Liam’s twenty-eight.”

“I’m twenty-eight.” Niall tilted his chin toward Shawn. “You?”

Shawn felt his cheeks warm. “I’m the baby—twenty-three.”

Niall’s eyes widened. “Did you come here straight after college?”

“Yeah, a month after I graduated.”

“Damn, it took me a couple years to get enough confidence to go to Spain.”

“Did you teac—”

“Yeah,” Niall smiled and nodded.

Liam knocked his glass on the table twice. “I want to drink. Talk later.”

Niall chuckled, and Shawn felt himself smile. “Go ahead.”

“Who’s been—Shawn hasn’t had a drink yet—to the most countries?”

Shawn pointed to Niall, but everyone else pointed to Shawn. He laughed and held out his glass. “ _Seongyu_.” He was pleased when Niall poured his shot.

“Um…” Shawn caught Niall’s eye and grinned, then looked pointedly at Zayn and Liam. “Who’s had the most _girl_ friends _—_ ”

Niall snorted. “Not me, that’s for sure.”

Liam and Zayn ended up in a tie. While they muttered about how unfair that was, Shawn said, “I want to hear more about Spain. Later, I mean.”

Niall grinned and nodded. “Later.”

***

“Are you gonna get his number?” Liam unzipped in front of the urinal. “He’s cute, huh?”

Niall stood in the middle of the men’s room, surveying the doorway. “There’s no door.” A chattering group of Korean women walked past the half-landing, giggling. “Everyone can see you—”

“Whatever. Number?”

Niall locked himself in the single stall; it had a door. “Don’t need your help, Liam!”

***

Shawn poured Zayn a glass of lime soju. “Liam seems nice.”

“He’s a great guy.” Zayn downed his shot. “What do you think of Niall? Liam’s got good taste in friends.”

“Mm,” Shawn said, rolling his eyes. “You _would_ say that.”

***

Niall’s head was buzzing. After he and Liam had returned, they’d played a few more rounds of Chopsticks before learning a different game, Mandu. This one played a lot faster and they’d already ordered another pitcher of soju, strawberry this time.

“One, two, three,” Zayn counted, his right hand pumping in the air and his left hand flat on the table.

The four men called out numbers simultaneously. “Five.” “Ten.” “Five.” “Twenty.”

Niall looked at the center of the table. Shawn and Liam had their fingers splayed. “Fuck.” Niall had said twenty.

Shawn was the only one who’d guessed ten fingers, so he poured for everyone else. After they drank, he counted. “One, two, three.”

“Ten.” “Fifteen.” “Five.” “Twenty.”

Nobody had opened their fists and they laughed and groaned. Shawn poured three shots and then set the pitcher down. Niall grabbed it before anyone else could, and refilled Shawn’s glass.

“ _Ganbae_ ,” the men cheered before taking their shots.

“One, two, three…”

“Five.” “Ten.” “Twenty.” “Fifteen.”

Three hands were open, and Niall smiled and grabbed the pitcher of strawberry soju. “Finally!”

Shawn swatted at Niall’s closed fist quickly. “You ruined my win!”

The pitcher suddenly felt slippery.  Niall had fallen for a Spaniard in his last job, and when that ended spectacularly, well… Niall had come to Korea to escape.

But he was intrigued by Shawn. There was a softness to him that shimmered beneath the surface.

Niall put the pitcher down and counted. “One, two, three.”

“Five.” “Fifteen.” “Ten.” “Five.”

Niall was the only one with his fingers splayed. Liam and Zayn, who had both called out ‘five’ laughed.

Shawn picked up his glass, his eyes sparkling. _“_ One shot,” he said, clinking Niall’s glass. Their fingers brushed, and Niall felt heat in his fingers while he pounded the shot.

“I’ll take it,” Liam said. “One, two, three.”

Niall and Zayn called out ‘ten’ and Shawn and Liam called out ‘fifteen.’

Niall had the only closed fist. Of course.

Shawn’s hand closed. “Ten,” he declared.

Zayn’s smacked Shawn’s arm. “You fucking cheater.”

“I didn’t _cheat_ ,” Shawn shook his head, “I changed my mind.”

***

“Just get his damn number,” Zayn called out from behind the stall.

“What if he doesn’t like me?” Shawn relieved himself at the urinal. His height already made him stick out in Korea; he didn’t care who saw him at Moo.

“Are you _blind_?”

***

“These are so good.” Niall ate another rice cake.

“Do you want Zayn and me to leave?”

“Are his eyes brown? Hazel?”

“Hm?”

“He’s tall, reminds me of a rugby player I know.”

***

Shawn hated Never Have I Ever. It made him look so boring. So young. So… Canadian-nice.

Usually he’d lie, but what if he saw Niall again? Then he’d have to keep everything straight.

“Never have I ever…” It was Liam’s turn. _Here comes another sex question_ , Shawn thought. “…had a threesome.”

“Fucker.” Zayn took a shot.

“Really?” Niall said. “With…”

“I need another pitcher before I share that story.”

Zayn crossed his arms across his chest. “Never have I ever had sex in my bedroom while my parents were hosting a World Cup party downstairs.”

Shawn and Niall both laughed. “That’s oddly specific,” Niall stage whispered, leaning across the table.

Shawn leaned in. “If he’d left off the party part…”

Niall slapped the table and laughed. “I think we’d all be drinking then.”

Shawn wanted to make Niall laugh again. His laugh made Shawn feel warm and loose-limbed.

Or maybe that was the alcohol.

But he was pretty sure it was Niall.

Liam nudged Niall. “Your turn.”

Shawn sat back waited. Niall’s questions were less explicit.

“Never have I ever… gotten a tattoo.”

An imagine of a naked, inkless Niall flashed in Shawn’s imagination as he took a shot.

“Really? Where?” Niall’s shook his head. “I mean, only if you want—”

“You know how Koreans are about tattoos…” Shawn tugged at the hem of his long sleeve. “I don’t show them in public, but,” Shawn’s speech was rushed, “maybe later.”

“Later,” Niall said with a soft smile.

Shawn’s turn. Shit. “Um, never have I ever… dyed my hair.”

Niall scoffed and clinked his glass against Zayn’s.

“What color?” Shawn spoke to the table but only looked at Niall.

“Bleached it,” Niall said.

“Me too.”

Shawn tried to imagine what Niall looked like with pale hair. “Huh.”

“For years,” Niall said. “I looked ridiculous.”

Zayn rubbed his jaw and looked at the others. “Never have I ever,” he smirked at Liam, “puked in my own shoe.”

Liam crossed his arms over his chest. “It was your shoe.”

Niall shook his head. “You two are ridiculous.”

They played several more rounds, covering the usual sorts of questions. Shoplifting, sex in public… Shawn got them all with “never have I ever lived in Europe,” and Niall pulled out “never have I ever been to Toronto.”

It was Niall’s turn again. “Never have I ever… kissed two people on the same day.”

“Threesome.” Zayn took a shot and looked at Shawn. “Your turn.”

“I’m thinking…” Shawn tried to hide a smirk. “Never have I ever kissed a girl. And liked it.”

“Zayn,” Niall poured Liam’s glass, “you want a double shot?” He winked at Shawn. “For the threesome I mean?”

Zayn drank, glaring at Shawn the entire time. “I’ll take another,” he pushed the glass in front of Niall, “but I’ve gotta piss.”

“I’ll be your lookout.”

***

Niall watched Liam and Zayn practically trip over each other in their escape. He shook his head. “They’re…”

Shawn turned and looked at them. “They’re something…” He turned back to Niall. “So…”

“So… I’m sure you know they’re trying to set us up.”

“Oh yeah, Zayn made that clear.”

“Liam, too,” Niall said. “Subtle those two aren’t.”

“I told Zayn I wasn’t—just because we’re both—”

“I said the same to Liam, but…”

Niall shifted, stealing glances at Shawn. “It would—”

“We could—”

Niall and Shawn laughed. Shawn blushed; Niall thought he probably did too.

After a long moment, Shawn said, “It would drive them crazy if we didn’t trade numbers.”

“We don’t have to…” Niall put his phone on the table. “Tell them. I’d like your number—”

Shawn leaned back in his seat. “Ah, a little secret?”

When Shawn smiled, his eyes danced. _Hazel_ , Niall thought. He’d need to see them in daylight, to be sure.

“Just a little lie,” Niall said.

“Just a little one,” Shawn leaned forward, “Zero-one-zero…”

 

**Author's Note:**

> There was a Moo bar in Seoul, although it closed several years ago, and yes, it looked like the inside of a cow's stomach.
> 
> Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this little expat slice of life. :) Come visit me on [Tumblr](http://gettingaphdinmomo.tumblr.com/post/183785706046/soju-%EC%86%8C%EC%A3%BC-2496-words-by-gettingaphdinlarry-after).


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